EP4593768A1 - Système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique - Google Patents

Système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique

Info

Publication number
EP4593768A1
EP4593768A1 EP23873560.9A EP23873560A EP4593768A1 EP 4593768 A1 EP4593768 A1 EP 4593768A1 EP 23873560 A EP23873560 A EP 23873560A EP 4593768 A1 EP4593768 A1 EP 4593768A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
inner housing
ankle
ankle system
moveable element
pin
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23873560.9A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Evandro M. FICANHA
Matthew M. WERNKE
Alexander W. ALBURY
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Willowwood Global LLC
Original Assignee
Willowwood Global LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Willowwood Global LLC filed Critical Willowwood Global LLC
Publication of EP4593768A1 publication Critical patent/EP4593768A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/50—Prostheses not implantable in the body
    • A61F2/60—Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
    • A61F2/66—Feet; Ankle joints
    • A61F2/6607—Ankle joints

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to prosthetic devices and more particularly, to an ankle system that interconnects a prosthetic foot to a prosthetic limb.
  • the ankle system for use with a prosthetic foot structure is described herein.
  • the ankle system includes an outer housing with at least one through hole, the outer housing configured to receive an inner housing including an adaptor, at least one pin slot, and a base.
  • the system further includes at least one linkage pin, the linkage pin configured to fit through the at least one pin slot; wherein the inner housing is configured to move within the outer housing from a first position to a second position along an arcuate path; and a spring body having a length, the length comprising a first end and a second end; wherein the first end is disposed within the outer housing and the second end is configured to be attached to the prosthetic foot structure.
  • the system may further include a spring protector; wherein the spring protector is disposed between an upper surface of the first end of the spring body and a lower surface of the base of the inner housing; and wherein a rear portion of the base of the inner housing is configured to pivot against a rear portion of the spring protector as the inner housing moves from the first position to the second position within the outer housing.
  • a bumper is attached to the spring body, wherein the bumper is capable of preventing compression of the spring body past a desired point.
  • the system further comprises a moveable element disposed between a lower surface of the inner housing and an upper surface of the spring protector; wherein the moveable element is movable along a horizontal axis from a position at a rear portion of the inner housing to a position at a front portion of the inner housing along a length of an adjustable screw.
  • the movement of the moveable element along the length of the adjustable screw is constrained by at least a first and second retaining ring disposed at a first and second end of the adjustable screw.
  • the system instead of a spring protector, includes a pivot joint connecting the base of the inner housing to the first end of the spring body, the pivot joint including at least one dowel pin configured to be friction fit within an opening in the base of the inner housing, an opening in the first end of the spring body, or a combination thereof.
  • the moveable element may be at least partially disposed within a slot formed in a lower surface of the inner housing and may be moveable along a horizontal axis from a position toward a rear portion of the inner housing to a position toward a front portion of the inner housing.
  • the system may further include a first locking screw and a second locking screw configured to engage the moveable element within the slot.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the ankle system, shown attached to a prosthetic foot;
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the ankle system of Fig. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a front view of the ankle system of Fig. 1, shown without the prosthetic foot;
  • FIG. 4 is a front view of the ankle system of Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 5 is a rear view of the ankle system of Fig. 1. shown without the prosthetic foot;
  • FIG. 6 is a rear view of the ankle system of Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 7 is a side elevation view in section of the ankle system of Fig. 4, taken along line 7 — 7, with the ankle system positioned at maximum plantarflexion;
  • Fig. 8 is a side elevation view in section of the ankle system of Fig. 4, taken along line 7 — 7, with the ankle system positioned at maximum dorsiflexion;
  • FIG. 9 is a side elevation view in section of the ankle system of FIG. 3, taken along line 9 — 9;
  • Fig. 10 is a side elevation view in section of the inner housing of the ankle system of Fig. 1, shown at maximum stiffness;
  • Fig. 11 is a side elevation view in section of the inner housing of the ankle system of Fig. 1, shown at minimum stiffness;
  • FIG. 12 is a front view in section of the ankle system of FIG. 2, taken along line 12 — 12;
  • FIG. 13 is a front view in section of the ankle system of FIG. 2, taken along line 13 — 13;
  • Fig. 14 is a side elevation view in section of another embodiment of the ankle system, shown at maximum stiffness
  • Fig. 15 is a side elevation view in section the ankle system of Fig. 14, shown at minimum stiffness;
  • FIG. 16 is a detail view in section of the ankle system of Fig. 14;
  • Fig. 17 is a side elevation view in section of another embodiment of the ankle system. shown at minimum stiffness;
  • Fig. 18 is a side elevation view in section the ankle system of Fig. 17. shown at maximum stiffness;
  • FIG. 19 is a detail view in section of the ankle system of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 20 is a side elevation view in section of another embodiment of the ankle system
  • Fig. 21 is a side elevation view in section of the ankle system of Fig. 20, shown at a position with decreased stiffness
  • Fig. 22 is a perspective view 7 of one embodiment of a moveable element
  • Fig. 23 is a bottom perspective view of the moveable element of Fig. 22 disposed within an inner housing;
  • Fig. 24 is a side elevation view- in section of another embodiment of the ankle system, shown attached to a prosthetic foot;
  • Fig. 25 is a perspective view' of the inner housing of the ankle system of Fig. 20; and [0010] Fig. 26 is a side elevation view' in section of another embodiment of the ankle system, shown attached to a prosthetic foot.
  • Fig. 27 is a side elevation view' in section of another embodiment of the ankle system, shown attached to a prosthetic foot.
  • an embodiment of an ankle system 10 for use with a prosthesis is shown attached to a prosthetic foot 12.
  • a prosthetic foot 12 in an embodiment may have a split toe and a heel plate and may be made of materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or fiber glass reinforced plastic.
  • the ankle system includes an outer housing 14, which may be made of steel, titanium, aluminum, or alloys of these, an inner housing 16, which also may be made of steel, aluminum, or titanium, or alloys of these, is received within the outer housing 14 and is capable of polycentric movement from a first position A to a second position B. along arcuate path a, relative to the outer housing 14 (as shown in Figs. 7 and 8).
  • the ankle system 10 may further include at least one spring body 18 and a spring protector 20 (as shown in Figs. 7 and 8).
  • the spring body 18 may be received within an opening 22 in the front of the outer housing 14 at a first end 24 (as shown in Fig. 7) and attached to the heel portion 26 of the prosthetic foot 12 at a second end 28.
  • the spring body 18 may be connected to the spring protector 20, the outer housing 14, and/or the prosthetic foot 12 at various points along the length of the spring body 18. As shown in Fig. 7, the spring body 18 is connected using a set of screws, although it should be understood that the spring body 18 may be attached using any suitable method, such as an adhesive.
  • the first end 24 is received within an opening 22 in the front of the outer housing 14 and is attached to a spring protector 20, which is disposed betw een the base 30 of the inner housing 16 and the spring body 18, using a first set of metal or plastic screw s 32, 34 disposed through holes (not shown) within the spring protector 20.
  • the spring body 18 is configured to extend out of the opening 22 in the front of the outer housing 14 in generally a C-shape, and to attach at a second point along its length with a second set of screw s 36 (the second set 36 may include one or more screws) to the base 38 of the outer housing 14 and at athird point (disposed at or toward the second end 28 of the spring body 18), with a third set of screw s 40, 42 (see also Fig. 6) disposed through holes 44, 46 at the heel portion 26 of the prosthetic foot 12 and, optionally, holes (not shown) in the base 38 of the outer housing 14.
  • the inner housing 16 includes a first fitting 48 that attaches to a prosthetic leg (not shown).
  • the first fitting 48 takes the form of a male pyramid connector or adapter.
  • the inner housing 16 also includes a plurality of curved pin slots 50, 52 disposed through the body of the inner housing (see also Fig. 15). When the inner housing 16 is disposed within the outer housing 14, at least a portion of the pin slots 50, 52 will align with through-holes 54, 56 (Fig. 1) disposed in the outer housing 14 (see also Fig. 12).
  • Pins 58, 60 may then be inserted through both the plurality of pin slots, 50, 52 and the through-holes 54, 56 to join the outer housing 14 and the inner housing 16, while allowing the inner housing to move from a first position A to a second position B along an arcuate path a as pressure is exerted in a downward direction toward the spring body 18.
  • the ankle system 10 further includes a stop or bumper, generally designated 62, separating the upper portion of the C-shaped spring body 18 and the base 38 of the outer housing 14.
  • the bumper 62 which in certain embodiments is made of rubber, urethane, plastic or other compliant material, limits compression of the spring body 18 in response to the compressive force F that forces the inner housing 16 along arcuate path a into the outer housing 14.
  • the upper portion of the spring body 18 includes a recess (not shown) that receives and retains the top of the bumper 62. The bottom of the bumper 62 engages with the base 38 of the outer housing 14.
  • the rear comer of the base 30 of the inner housing 16 is configured to pivot against the rear edge of the spring protector 20 such that the bottom surface of the base 30 of the inner housing 16 will come to a substantially parallel position against the upper surface of the spring protector 20.
  • the pins 58 and 60 move along arcuate path a within the pin slots 50, 52. This motion allows the ankle system 10 to pivot from front to back in much the same way that a native ankle joint would flex during walking.
  • the ankle system may further include an optional moveable element 64 and stiffness adjustment screw 66 disposed in the base 30 of the inner housing 16.
  • the ankle system 10 is configured to allow the user to adjust its stiffness, by changing the position at which the inner housing 16 pivots against the spring body 18 (not shown) through the spring protector 20.
  • the motion of the pyramid adaptor 48 is transferred to the spring body 18 and bumper 62 using the moveable element 64.
  • the moveable element 64 is configured to be threaded around the stiffness adjustment screw 66 such that when the adjustment screw 66 is rotated, the moveable element 64 moves from a first position, tow ard the back of the inner housing base 30 (Fig. 10) to a position closer to the front of the inner housing base 30 (Fig. 11).
  • Other methods to adjust the moveable element 64 position may be used such as adjustable pins, or slots in which the moveable element can be placed. In this embodiment, the further toward the back the moveable element is placed, the stiffer the ankle joint will be.
  • the movement, and thereby the adjustability, of the moveable element 64 may be limited by placing retaining rings 70, 72 at the distal and proximal ends of the stiffness adjustment screw 66. And, the position of the adjustment screw 66 may be constrained using a set screw' 68 or other suitable mechanism.
  • the moveable element 64 may be rectangular or, as shown in Figs. 14-19, may be circular or round.
  • the bottom surface 84 of the inner housing 16 and the upper surface 82 of the spring protector 20 may also include grooves designed to correspond to the outer shape of the circular moveable element 64, as shown in Fig. 16. The grooves, combined with the shape of the moveable element provide stiffness and adjustability in discreet increments.
  • the round moveable element 64 may be attached to a linkage member 86, which is configured to move from a first position to a second position, relative to the inner housing 16, along an arcuate smooth or grooved path 88 disposed along the bottom surface of the inner housing 16.
  • the linkage member 86 maybe attached at one end to the moveable element 64 and at a second end with a pin joint 90.
  • the adjustment screw 66 may be attached to the inner housing 16 with another pivot joint 92.
  • the moveable element 64 is configured to move from a first position to a second position along a straight path.
  • the movable element 64 (Fig. 22) includes a substantially flat upper surface 64a which moves within a slot 94 disposed in the bottom surface of the inner housing 1 (Fig. 23).
  • the inner housing may include a substantially flat lower surface 94a that is configured to conform to the shape of the upper surface 64a of the moveable member 64, allowing the moveable member 64 to move forward and back within the slot 94.
  • the moveable element 64 may be configured to be moved and locked in place within the slot 94 using a pair of stiffness adjustment and/or locking screws 96 and 98.
  • a pair of stiffness adjustment and/or locking screws 96 and 98 As show n in Figs. 20 and 21, moving the screw 98 toward the back of the inner housing 16 and tightening the screw 96 toward the front of the inner housing 16 moves the movable element 64 within the slot 94 to the back and increases stiffness (Fig. 20).
  • loosening the screw 96 and tightening the screw 98 moves the movable element 64 to the right and decreases stiffness (Fig. 21).
  • the spring body 18 is directly connected to the inner housing 16 with a pivot joint that includes at least one dowel pin 74 inserted through a through hole 76 in the base 30 of the inner housing 16. As the ankle rotates, the motion of the inner housing 16 will transfer to the spring body 18 via the dowel pin joint.
  • a rigid link member 78 connects the spring body 18 to the base 30 of the inner housing 16. The pivot j oints of the rigid link member 78 allows the link to align itself between the spring body 18 and inner housing 16.
  • the pivot joints may include dowel pins riding inside bushings and/or bearings that are press fit into each element.
  • the spring body 18 connects to the inner housing 16 with a fastening mechanism, such as a bolt 80 (one or more) or some other fastener. As the ankle joint rotates, the spring body 18 is configured to bend and move with the inner housing 16, as opposed to deflecting away from the inner housing in response to contact with the spring protector.
  • a fastening mechanism such as a bolt 80 (one or more) or some other fastener.
  • the spring body 18 is configured to bend and move with the inner housing 16, as opposed to deflecting away from the inner housing in response to contact with the spring protector.
  • the inner housing 1 and the spring body 18 may be made of separate pieces. In another embodiment, the components may be made as a single component.
  • first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, which changing the meaning of the description, so long as all occurrences of the “first element” are renamed consistently and all occurrences of the “second element” are renamed consistently. The first element and the second element are both elements, but they are not the same element.
  • the term “‘if’ may be construed to mean “‘when” or “‘upon” or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “in response to detecting,” that a stated condition precedent is true, depending on the context.
  • the phrase “if it is determined [that a stated condition precedent is true]” or “‘if [a stated condition precedent is true]” or “‘when [a stated condition precedent is true]” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “upon detecting” or “in response to detecting” that the stated condition precedent is true, depending on the context.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Transplantation (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Cardiology (AREA)
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique comprenant un boîtier externe avec au moins un trou traversant, le boîtier externe étant configuré pour recevoir un boîtier interne ; le boîtier interne comprenant un adaptateur, au moins une fente de broche et une base. Dans un mode de réalisation, le système comprend en outre au moins une broche de liaison, la broche de liaison étant configurée pour s'ajuster à travers la ou les fentes de broche ; le boîtier interne étant configuré pour se déplacer à l'intérieur du boîtier externe d'une première position à une seconde position le long d'un trajet arqué. Le système comprend également un corps de ressort ayant une longueur, la longueur comprenant une première extrémité et une seconde extrémité, la première extrémité étant disposée à l'intérieur du boîtier externe et la seconde extrémité étant configurée pour être fixée à la structure de pied prothétique.
EP23873560.9A 2022-09-27 2023-09-27 Système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique Pending EP4593768A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US202263410406P 2022-09-27 2022-09-27
PCT/US2023/033812 WO2024072854A1 (fr) 2022-09-27 2023-09-27 Système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4593768A1 true EP4593768A1 (fr) 2025-08-06

Family

ID=90361102

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP23873560.9A Pending EP4593768A1 (fr) 2022-09-27 2023-09-27 Système de cheville destiné à être utilisé avec une structure de pied prothétique

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20240099860A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP4593768A1 (fr)
KR (1) KR20250078481A (fr)
CN (1) CN120112253A (fr)
WO (1) WO2024072854A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9289316B2 (en) * 2013-05-03 2016-03-22 Springactive, Inc. Quasi-active prosthetic joint system
US9763809B2 (en) * 2013-08-27 2017-09-19 Freedom Innovations, Llc Microprocessor controlled prosthetic ankle system for footwear and terrain adaptation
US12263102B2 (en) * 2020-08-28 2025-04-01 Össur Iceland Ehf Prosthetic foot with variable stiffness ankle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN120112253A (zh) 2025-06-06
WO2024072854A1 (fr) 2024-04-04
KR20250078481A (ko) 2025-06-02
US20240099860A1 (en) 2024-03-28

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